Sen. Li Arellano

Creates the Dependency Determinations for Unaccompanied Children Act. Creates a process for an unaccompanied child in the custody of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement housed in Illinois who is alleged to have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by one or both parents to file a petition seeking a finding of dependency under the Act. Provides that a child declared dependent is eligible for oversight and services as ordered by the court and may be referred for psychological, educational, medical, or social services deemed necessary as a result of parental abuse, abandonment, or neglect or for protection against trafficking or domestic violence. Defines terms. Makes legislative findings. Effective immediately.

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall authorize the examination of applicants as pharmacists at such times and places as it may determine (rather than not less than 3 times per year). Provides that the Department and the Board of Pharmacy shall regularly monitor the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination or its successor to ensure that the examination of applicants is of a character to give a fair test of the qualifications of the applicant to practice pharmacy. Provides that applicants for examination as pharmacists for the calendar years 2025, 2026, and 2027 shall be required to pass only the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Provides that the results from the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination for such applicants shall be disregarded and shall not prohibit an applicant who has successfully passed the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination from engaging in the practice of pharmacy. Provides that applicants for examination as pharmacists shall be required to pay, either to the Department or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (rather than the designated testing service), a fee covering the cost of providing the examination. Provides that the Department shall notify applicants taking the examination of their results no later than 2 weeks after (rather than within 7 weeks of) the examination date. Makes conforming changes.

Urges Congress to authorize the President to present Congressional Gold Medals to all Korean War Veterans in recognition of their service and sacrifice.

Amends the Downstate Police, Downstate Firefighter, Chicago Police, Chicago Firefighter, Chicago Municipal, Cook County, Cook County Forest Preserve, Chicago Laborers, and Chicago Park District Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Establishes an accelerated pension benefit payment in lieu of any pension benefit under which an eligible person may elect to receive an amount determined by the Fund to be equal to 60% of the present value of his or her pension benefits in lieu of receiving any pension benefit. Establishes an accelerated pension benefit payment for a reduction in annual retirement annuity and survivor's annuity increases, as applicable, under which a Tier 1 member may elect to receive an accelerated pension benefit payment equal to 70% of the difference of the present value of the automatic annual increases to a Tier 1 member's retirement annuity and survivor's annuity using the formula applicable to the Tier 1 member and the present value of the automatic annual increases to the Tier 1 member's retirement annuity using a specified formula and survivor's annuity using a specified formula. Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Requires municipalities and counties with more than 3,000,000 inhabitants to establish an accelerated pension benefit program to implement the accelerated pension benefit payments. Provides that the county or municipality shall remit to the pension funds a contribution, which may be a contribution of zero dollars, that shall constitute the total funding for accelerated pension benefit payments for that fiscal year. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Charter Schools Article of the School Code. Provides that on July 1, 2027, any charter school authorized by the State Board of Education and located outside of the geographical area of a district located in a city of over 500,000 inhabitants shall have its authorization transferred to the local board or boards for each district from which the charter school draws enrollment. Provides that all authorizer powers, duties, contracts, and pending business of the State Board as the school's authorizer must be transferred to the local board or boards. Provides that all charter contract terms shall remain in full force and effect unless amended by mutual agreement of the parties, except that the term of the contract shall be 7 years starting July 1, 2027. Provides that if a State-authorized charter school that is subject to transfer is authorized to enroll students from more than one district, the boards of all districts from which the charter school draws enrollment must establish a joint charter management team that consists of at minimum one administrator from each district. Provides that the joint charter management team must develop and execute a charter oversight plan that is submitted to the State Board as part of the charter certification process. Provides that final decisions of a local school board to deny, revoke, or not renew a charter are subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law. Removes language providing that: the State Board of Education may reverse a local board's decision to revoke or not renew a charter if the State Board finds that the charter school or charter school proposal (i) is in compliance with the Article and (ii) is in the best interests of the students it is designed to serve; the State Board may condition the granting of an appeal on the acceptance by the charter school of funding in an amount less than that requested in the proposal submitted to the local school board; and the State Board must appoint and utilize a hearing officer for any appeals. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Maddy summarySB 416 updates the short title of the Private Business and Vocational Schools Act of 2012 to align with current statutory formatting. This is a purely technical correction to the law's reference name and does not change any existing requirements, regulations, or obligations for private business and vocational schools. The bill affects no individuals, institutions, or programs, as it only modifies how the law is officially cited in legal documents.

Maddy summarySB 415 amends the Childhood Hunger Relief Act by making a technical correction to the section defining its short title. This change only affects the law's formal naming reference and does not alter any hunger relief programs, eligibility, or funding. The bill directly affects legal documents and records that cite the act's short title, ensuring consistent terminology. It has no impact on how the law operates or who receives assistance. (Note: The bill's title "EDUCATION-TECH" appears unrelated to its actual content based on the provided abstract.)

Maddy summarySB 317 amends the Consumer Legal Funding Act by making a technical correction to the section defining the law's short title. This adjustment updates the official name reference in the statute without changing any substantive provisions or requirements. The change affects how the law is formally cited in legal documents but has no impact on consumer rights, legal funding companies, or existing regulations. It is a purely procedural update with no policy or operational consequences.

Declares October 28, 2026 as Naval Station Great Lakes Day in the State of Illinois in recognition of the work and history of Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes).

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that amendments to bills filed with the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House of Representatives that contain appropriations for more than one State agency for the current year or budget year shall be accompanied by certain supplemental documentation. Effective immediately.